Courage Under Persecution

Happy Easter! I read today's readings and didn't really care for the first one. Something about the last phrase, "And about three thousand persons were added that say" seems more like cattle in a county fair than baptized people in a community. It makes me wonder: did the early disciples see it as a transformative experience, or was it all about the numbers? Surely it was a mix of both: more numbers means more legitimation, and more legitimation means less persecution. But I wonder if Christians today get caught up in the number of people they're "saving", and lose sight of the bigger picture. We're not even the ones who do the saving. God does the saving. We're supposed to be the ones who point the way to that power. I always try to keep that in mind when I'm doing my youth ministry. It's very tempting to take credit when a young person has a conversion experience, or when you can boast that your youth group does the most activities in a year. But in the end, it's not really about what WE do. It's what GOD does. We need to remember that we are just the clay in the hands of the potter. We are malleable and usable and willing to become whatever God calls us to be. If we are instrumental in spreading God's goodness throughout our communities, good. But we shouldn't be acting like we're doing it all on our own.

The second reading is one of my favorites for the Easter season. It's when Mary Magdalene discovers the empty tomb and then demands the "gardener" to reveal where he has laid Jesus. Mary Magdalene may be my favorite character in the Bible (apart from Jesus) simply because of her moral courage. The Church has finally cleared up her name and no longer holds that she was the same prostitute from the stoning episode, but she still doesn't have the same respect that is due her. She sees a man who she believes is the gardener, and she has the moxie to ask him where he has put Jesus, so that she can take care of his body. A woman! Asking a total stranger! She was upset and probably came across as being accusatory, so she probably wasn't the most polite at this time. But as soon as she realizes that it's Jesus, she crumples in the most beautiful symbol of devotion and love. She calls him "Rabbouni", which means "teacher." And when I read that, I imagine it as something she would call a close friend, someone she loved. It's a beautiful moment of realization for her, and it probably transformed her even more than she already had experienced.

And what's more: after seeing Jesus, she runs back and tells the apostles about the Resurrection. Not many would have believed her, and she was risking her own sanity and safety by spreading this news. But she did it because she saw the bigger picture. I hope that I can be brave in my faith, and that I won't be afraid to tell others about the joy of the Resurrection. May we all have bold courage like Mary Magdalene, and may we always see Jesus in a new way that has us overflowing in joy and excitement.

Peace.